Chinese lanterns at night
Ever year, thousands of chinese lanterns are released into the sky in celebration of the chinese lantern festival. This annual festival is held on the 15th day of the first lunar month in the chinese calendar, and marks the end of the Chinese New Year festival. In 2010, the festival will be celebrated on the 28th February.
The chinese lantern festival dates back more than 2000 years to the Han dynasty in China. According to taoism, the festival marks the birthday of the Heaven Officer, who blesses human luck. On this day, many chinese families traditionally worship the Heaven Officer and pray for good luck. They also decorate their homes with paper lanterns and attend local lantern festivals.
The local lantern festivals are held in town centres and temples across the country. People write their wishes on the paper lanterns, which are then lit and released into the sky. It is believed that once the chinese lanterns reach heaven, they will be received by the Heaven Officer, and they will be blessed.
Many different stories and legends are associated with this festival. One of my favourites relates to newly wed couples, who place two lanterns at the end of their bed on the night of this festival. One lantern is red and the other white. Both lanterns are lit, and the couple wait to see which lantern burns the longest. If the white one wins, they can expect a baby girl. If the red one wins, they can expect a baby boy.
For further information about our chinese wish lanterns, please contact our customer services department on 0845 500 1215 or email contact@wishlantern.co.uk
